Swimming toy.



0. R. TROIE.

.swmmm TOY. APPLICATION FILED BAR. 30,1917.

Patented Mar. 12 1918.

I I I r W OSCAR IR. TROJE, 0F ENSLEY, ALABAMA.

SWIMMING TOY.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed March so, 1917. Serial No. 158,645.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR R. Tnoan, a citizen of the United States, resldmg at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State I of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Toys; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inventlon, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to toys, and more particularly to floating toys such as toy men, side paddle boats, and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a floating toy with mechanism whereby it ma be propelled through the water.

nether object of the invention is to pro vide a floating figure toy representing a human form and having swinging arms and oscillating legs, and means for swinging and oscillating the respective members, whereby when the figure is floating upon the surface of the water, it will present an appearance very similar to that of a swimmer using a hand-over-hand stroke.

Another object of the invention is to embody the necessary mechanism of a device such as above described in a very compact manner in a figure toy, and to generally improve upon devices. of this class by the provision of an extremely simple, strong, dura-v ble and inexpensive construction, one which will be eflicient and reliable in operation, and well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and numerous other objects in view, the invention consists of certain. novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as-will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application, and in which similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a front'elevation of the device constructed in accordance with this invention" Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the figure taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 4-4: of Fig. 1. v

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a figure representing the hum'an form is shown composed of a body portion 1, a head 2, and thigh members 3. This figure is preferably constructed of wood or 0th r comparatively light and fioatable material.

and has its body portion 1 and thigh members 8 hollowed out to provide for the redescribed.

same when it is floating upon the surface of the water, is provided with a sliding plate 3 which closes the hollowed portion of the same, but permits entrance thereto for obvious reasons.

Extending transversely across the body member 1 on a line with its shoulders is a shaft 4-, the latter being revolubly mounted in suitable bearings arranged in the body member and having its ends projecting beyond the outer sides of the same. Fixed to these projecting ends of the shaft 4 in any suitable manner is a pair of oppositely extending propelling arms 5 which are prefception of the mechanism to be hereinafter The back of the figure, which is preferably to be the upper side of the erably formed of flat thin metal plates as" shown and are offset intermediate their ends to represent the elbow joint of the arm. The free ends of the arms 5 are provided with narrow necks (3 and these are twisted to form hands 7 disposed in planesat right angles to the planes of the arms. struction when the figure is placed in the water upon rotation of the shaft 4, the arms will be swung so as to cause them to propel the figure forwardly, the hands 7 acting in the capacity of paddle blades.

The shaft 4 is provided intermediate its ends with a pair of cranks 8, and connected to these cranks in any suitable manner is a pair of links or pitmen '9, the free ends of which are connected ecccntri'cally to a pair of pivotally mounted leg members 10. These leg members 10 as shown, are disposed between the lower split ends of the thigh members 3 and a single pin 11 extending transversely through thethigh members forms the pivot for the lcgmcmbers. By this construction when the shaft 4 is rotated and the arms 5 are operated, the leg members 10 will be oscillated across each other or given 'a'back By this conand forth scissors-like motion somewhat s1m1lar to the usual kick in certain types of swimming.

Looped around pin 11 between the thigh members 3 is an endless elastic element 12 here shown as being in the form of an ordinary rubber band. his rubber band is extended through an opening 13 in the crotch of the figure and connected at its other end to a hook member 14.- carried by the shaft 4 between the two cranks 8. When the shaft is rotated in one direction, the element 1:2 will be wound around the same and put under tension, and when the parts are released the tensile elasticity of this element will cause the shaft to be rotated in the reverse direction and thus the figure will be propelled forwardly.

In using the device the rubber band is put under tension by swinging-one of the arms in a backward direction, and then placing the figure upon the water and releasing the arm. Should the rubber band or other elastic element become broken, it may be replaced by a new one by removing the slide 3 and connecting it to the parts in the manner above described.

From the foregoing description, taken 1n connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the objects of the invention have been effectively carried out as the manner in which the arms and legs are mounted and operated presents an exact resemblance to a swimmer using the ordi- ,nary hand-over-hand or crawl stroke.

As various changes in form, proportion,

.and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the" spirit of this invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the precise construction herein shown and described, it being obvious that certain features of the invention may be utilized in connection with other marine toys, such a mechanical boats and the like. 1

I claim:

1. A marine toy comprising a floating member, a shaft revclubly mounted upon said member, propelling means fixed to said shaft and disposed on the exterior of said member, and an elastic element anchored at one end to said member and at its other end to said shaft, said element being adapted when wound around the shaft to be put under tension in order to revolve the shaft when said member is floating upon the sur face of the water.

2. A swimming toy comprising a floating figure, a leg member pivotally mounted thereto to swing in a plane disposed at right 1,2es,eea

angles to the plane of the body of said fig ure, and mechanism disposed within said figure to oscillate said leg member.

3. A swlmming toy comprising a floating figure, a pair of leg members pivotally mounted thereto to swing in parallel planes disposed at right angles to the plane of the body of the figure, and mechanism. disposed within said figure to oscillate said leg members across each other.

4. A swimming toy comprising a floating figure, a pair of leg members pivotally mounted thereto, a shaft, mounted to re 'volve within said figure and having a pair of oppositely extending cranks thereon, pitmen connected at one of their ends to said cranks and at their other ends to said leg members adjacent their pivoted ends to oscillate these members across each other, and means for rotating said shaft.

5. A swimming toy comprising a figure having av hollow body portion, a head and hollow thigh portions, one of the ends of said thigh portions being split, a pair of leg members having one of their ends disposed between the split ends of said thigh portions, a pin extending through the latter for pivotally mounting said leg members thereto, a shaft revolubly mounted within the body portion of said figure and having cranks thereon, a pair of itmen connected at one of their ends to said cranks and at their other ends to said leg members adjacent their pivoted ends to oscillate the same, and means for rotating said shaft.

'6. A swimming toy comprising a floating figure, a shaft revolubly mounted therein and having its ends projecting through the sides thereof, a pair of flat arm-members disposed in parallel planes arranged at rightangles to the plane of the body portion of said figure and fixed to the projecting ends of said shaft, the free ends of said arm members being twisted into planes at right angles to the planes of the latter to provide paddling band members, and means for rotating said shaft.

7 A swimming toy comprising a floating figure including a body portion and a pair of thigh portions, a pair of leg members pivoted at one of their ends to the free ends of said thigh portions, and means disposed within said body portion and said thigh portions for oscillating said leg members across each other to represent the vertical foot movement of a swimming stroke.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' oscaa a. raoaa. 

